The Fresh Air Fund; Amid Play, a Few Lessons on Work

By ARTHUR BOVINO

Published: June 22, 2003

Seven New York City children sat in a Manhattan conference room two weeks ago enjoying a choice view of the Hudson River. They were visiting Chelsea Piers, the 30-acre waterfront sports complex between 17th and 23rd Streets along the Hudson, as part of a career awareness program offered by the Fresh Air Fund.

The young people were joined by the president of the complex, Tom A. Bernstein, who was giving them an opportunity to learn about what goes on behind the scenes.

They were not about to pull any punches.

Patrick Knight, 13, of Queens, took a sip of soda and asked Mr. Bernstein, ''What exactly do you do here?''

Mr. Bernstein laughed before answering: ''I'm president. So what do I really do? Well, from picking up cigarette butts to dealing with the governor and making sure the bathrooms are clean to making sure we hire great people.''

Patrick might not have been expecting Mr. Bernstein to talk about bathrooms and cigarettes, but he nodded with approval.

Mr. Bernstein told the group that he had been a lawyer and a film producer and explained how Chelsea Piers originated from the relocation of a skating rink, the filing of a striped bass lawsuit and the derailing of a highway project.

When the skating business, Sky Rink, began looking for a new location in 1991, Mr. Bernstein's partners, Roland Betts and David Tewksbury, visited Pier 61 to see if it would be a suitable space for a new rink.

''We learned we couldn't just have the skating rink, we had to have all of it,'' said Mr. Bernstein, referring to Piers 59 through 62.

The government owned the vacant piers, which had served ocean liners, and at one time planned to build a highway over them. But an environmental lawsuit protecting the striped bass in the river halted the plan, and the government was left holding the piers. After thinking it over, the partners proposed building a sports complex there.

''Most of the world told us we were crazy, but we fell in love with the idea,'' Mr. Bernstein said. ''And we had loads of problems, but we chipped away at them.''

The complex, built with $120 million in private investment, was finished in 1995.

''Last year we had over four million visits,'' Mr. Bernstein said. ''It's one of the busiest places in New York City.''

Doug Weitz, director of the career awareness program, looked at the young people and -- referring to an earlier meeting -- asked, ''Does anybody want to share their ideas from our brainstorming session?''

Chris Carrington, 13, of Queens, talked about his idea for a nightclub with a waterpark theme where ''everyone gets wet.'' Rashad McGirt, 14, from the Bronx, offered his idea of a clothing line with spray-painted designs that he would create, while Nasya Darkins, 12, from Queens, chewed over her thoughts on becoming a lawyer.

Then Patrick spoke up again.

''If someone wanted to follow in your footsteps, what advice would you give them?'' he asked.

Mr. Bernstein answered: ''Do something you love, because you won't ever consider it work. Then work hard, have a sense of humor, and stick with it.''

When the session ended, Patrick approached Mr. Bernstein and suggested holding sports contests at the complex. Mr Bernstein smiled warmly, and Patrick looked at him inquiringly.

Mr. Bernstein congratulated Patrick on his idea and told him to look him up in a few years if he is interested in applying for a job there.

The teenagers filtered out of the conference room with Mollie Marcoux, first vice president for new business development, for the second part of their afternoon: a tour of the complex and a chance to meet the trainers and managers who run Chelsea Piers.

Those who took part in the visit were seven of the nearly 300 adolescents enrolled in the career awareness program, which offers year-round activities intended to provide insights into potential occupations. Activities in the program include a career fair, ''job shadowing'' and a PreOccupations Club.

The boys and girls, ages 12 to 14, also take weekend camping trips and spend three and a half weeks during the summer at Camp Mariah in Fishkill, N.Y., where they engage in educational and recreational activities. The camp is named after the singer Mariah Carey, who donated $1 million in 1994 to establish the site.

''I think the program really pushes them to think about their futures,'' Mr. Weitz said. ''It helps them think that it's O.K., that it's encouraged, to think 5 to 10 years from now.''

From 1877 to the present, the Fresh Air Fund, a nonprofit agency, has given more than 1.7 million needy children from New York City free vacations in the country.

More than 10,000 New York City children have enjoyed the fund's free programs each year. In 2002, about 6,000 children visited volunteer host families in 13 states and Canada. Additionally, 3,000 children attended five Fresh Air Fund camps in Fishkill. A year-round camping program annually serves 2,000 other children.

At Chelsea Piers, the boys and girls hit golf balls on the driving range, asked questions of the personal trainers and watched as former Olympic figure-skating trainers gave tips to children practicing on the ice. In another area, they watched other children work on flips and dismounts from balance beams while strapped to safety harnesses.

''It could take five to six thousand times to do that before you do it on your own feet,'' said Peter Kormann, a former Olympian, who is the director of gymnastics.

The visitors were mesmerized by the gymnasts' somersaults and had to be coaxed to the next stop on the tour. The dedication of the people working out at the complex seemed to register, and when they spoke of their own futures, they sounded full of possibility.

''I was thinking about being a lawyer,'' Patrick said. ''A lot of people tell me I'm argumentative. I really want to be ambitious. It would be kind of cool to be able to say, 'I own all this.' Maybe I'd like to follow in Tom's footsteps.''

Families that would like to become hosts or would like to register children for a Fresh Air summer vacation can call (800) 367-0003. Tax deductible contributions can be sent to the Fresh Air Fund, 633 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017. They can also be made through the fund's Web site, www.freshair.org.

Photo: Participants in a Fresh Air Fund career awareness program took a tour of Chelsea Piers in Manhattan this month. The children discussed careers with the people who run the recreation complex along the Hudson. (Michael Nagle for The New York Times)